LEWISTON- Following a special meeting on Thursday night, the City Council is seeking applications for residents interested in appointment to the now-empty Ward Five seat.
Legal counsel at the meeting advised the Council that they would not be able to hold a special election to fill the seat, even though the replacement will serve for nearly an entire term. Prior to 2022, if a member of the Council resigned with more than one year left until the next municipal election (every November of odd-numbered years), the seat would be filled by special election. If less, the Council had thirty days to fill it or the Mayor would be able to.
The change to staggered terms means there is now a municipal election every November, so special elections are no longer possible. Due to an administrative error during the Charter Amendment process in 2021, the current Charter still says “next regular municipal election” instead of “end of their term”. This means that all vacancies are filled by appointment, regardless of time left in the term.
Councilor Iman Osman resigned the Ward Five seat last Thursday. He faces two counts of receiving stolen firearms stemming from incidents dating back to 2023. Osman was arraigned this past week, and he denies the charges against him.
No explanation has yet been given as to why Osman was charged so long after the incidents, and only after winning a seat on the City Council. He served on the School Committee from late 2024 until being sworn into the Council last Monday.
At it’s inaugural meeting, the City Council voted to open an investigation into Osman’s residency following a public outcry, largely from individuals outside of Ward Five. Many have called from Osman’s defeated opponent to be given the seat.
Osman was displaced from his residence in October of 2024, and said he intends to return to that address when repairs are finished. According to state law, an individual does not lose their voting address if they are temporarily displaced from their residence. The state does not define how long “temporary” can be, however.
On Thursday, Councilors Susan Longchamps and Bret Martel motioned to nominate the incumbent that Osman unseated, Eryn Soule-Leclair.
Councilor Joshua Nagine expressed concern with the Council choosing someone now to be voted on at their next meeting, since the resignation was less than a day old and many members of the public were not yet aware that the seat was even open.
The motion failed by a vote of 2-5.
Councilor David Chittim then motioned to make applications available to the public, and Councilors would choose among the applicants at their January 20th meeting. That vote passed unanimously.
Applications are being accepted until January 14th at 4 pm. A link can be found here.